Agent Paid 30 College Football Players…Because The NCAA Doesn’t

By now, most of you probably have seen the George Dohrmann piece in SI about Josh Luchs, the sports agent that sought to pay dozens of college football players (including Santonio Holmes, pictured) in hopes of representing them when they reached the NFL. It’s a compelling read and a peek behind the curtain at the underbelly of how money changes hands under the table in the football world.

Let’s not overblow this: this is not a “very chilling issue” as ESPN’s Chris Folwer would have you believe. This is merely a list of people that we all knew was happening anyway. Anyone that follows college football and doesn’t have his head buried in the sand knows that college football players are getting money from somebody, either from enterprising agents or boosters with ties to their schools. It’s the residual effect of the NCAA creating a black market for talented 18-year-olds who, currently, have nowhere else to cash in on their talents. But I’m telling you something you already know.

What most of us don’t know is how the NCAA manages to remain a glorified sports sweatshop, complete with a big white sign out front that reads AMATEUR ATHLETICS, where they remain unchallenged by the parties involved. Look, these kids set their own value when they sign their letters-of-intent, but the idea that the NCAA maintains the moral high ground here is a croc. I’m not saying that players necessarily should get paid. I’m just saying that we shouldn’t act surprised, from wherever it happens to be, when the money actually does start rolling in.

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If you want football players to get paid, you sure as shit better be paying the swim teams and other non-revenue sports, too. Title IX don’t suffer fools. And unless everyone wants to start paying $200 to go watch a college football game, I’d stop whining about the poor football player and his free education, room, and board.

By: Shan

10.13.2010 @ 5:00 PM

Why do I care if these assholes don’t take advantage of their free communications degree?

By: Shan

10.13.2010 @ 5:01 PM

Off topic:

I’m a bit surprised that my epic avatar is still around.

By: AB

10.13.2010 @ 5:52 PM

Enrico the retardo- title 9 wouldn’t really apply here, and when was the last time you heard of a swim team making 8 million in revenue for a university?

Here’s the easy solution NCAA – set a limit – they cannot be paid, but can receive up to $4000 a semester from the school, boosters or even an agent. That’s not a lot of money to you or me, but neither are the amounts being alleged. Really, it’s the same amount of money they could make with a part time job, if they weren’t spending 30+ hours a week on football.

By: wanksta420

10.13.2010 @ 9:39 PM

Exactly athletes don’t get paid except for the fact that they are getting to go to school for around 20,000 or so a year. Every other student is stuck paying student loans until they are 40 so I don’t feel bad for shit.

By: Welker's Melanin

10.14.2010 @ 5:18 AM

“This is merely a list of people that we all knew was happening anyway.”

Fix yo’ sentence.

Excellent photoshop work there though

By: DimpieChimplins

10.14.2010 @ 10:00 AM

Croc? Shouldn’t it be….oh what I see what you did there.

/what did you do there

By: Obvinot

10.14.2010 @ 2:28 PM

These animals have a job. Attending classes & playing ball. The payment they receive is what most others have to scrimp & save or go into debt for years to receive… an education.

AB- How do you figure Title Ix wouldn’t apply? Players from one sport receiving preferential treatment… nah, that wouldn’t apply. You also ask when did a swim team make $8 million for a university… probably never, BUT swim teams never create huge debt either while many NCAA football programs are hemorrhaging funds & cost there schools money rather than earning any, which adversely impacts all athletic programs.